88R10609 AMF-D
 
  By: Schofield H.B. No. 4026
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the creation of the office of state special prosecutor.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subtitle C, Title 2, Government Code, is amended
  by adding Chapter 42A to read as follows:
  CHAPTER 42A.  STATE SPECIAL PROSECUTOR
         Sec. 42A.001.  OFFICE. The supreme court shall appoint a
  state special prosecutor with concurrent jurisdiction to represent
  the state in the district and inferior courts in this state in a
  criminal case in which the criminal conduct alleged relates to:
               (1)  a violation of this state's election laws;
               (2)  human trafficking or the smuggling of persons or
  of items known to be acquired or possessed in violation of the laws
  of any state or of the United States;
               (3)  a violation of this state's abortion laws,
  including Chapters 170 and 171, Health and Safety Code, and Chapter
  6-1/2, Title 71, Revised Statutes;
               (4)  a violation of Chapter 481, Health and Safety
  Code; or
               (5)  an offense under Title 8, Penal Code.
         Sec. 42A.002.  OATH; TERM.  (a)  The state special prosecutor
  shall take the oath required of state officials.
         (b)  The state special prosecutor serves a four-year term and
  continues to serve until a successor is appointed and has
  qualified.
         Sec. 42A.003.  ASSISTANT STATE SPECIAL PROSECUTORS. (a)  
  The state special prosecutor may appoint one or more assistant
  state special prosecutors.  An assistant state special prosecutor
  has the same duties and serves the same term of office as the state
  special prosecutor.
         (b)  The state special prosecutor may appoint a first
  assistant state special prosecutor to perform the duties and
  assignments of the state special prosecutor and act as the state
  special prosecutor when the state special prosecutor is absent or
  otherwise unable to act.
         (c)  The state special prosecutor may appoint a person
  serving as an assistant attorney general as an assistant state
  special prosecutor.  An assistant attorney general appointed under
  this subsection may maintain the assistant attorney general's
  employment with the attorney general while serving as an assistant
  state special prosecutor.
         Sec. 42A.004.  VACANCY. (a)  If a vacancy occurs in the
  position of state special prosecutor, the supreme court shall
  appoint a successor to fill the office for the remainder of the
  unexpired term not more than 90 days after the date the vacancy
  occurs.
         (b)  If the supreme court fails to appoint a successor to
  fill a vacancy under Subsection (a), the governor may appoint, with
  the advice and consent of the senate, a state special prosecutor to
  fill the office for the remainder of the unexpired term.
         Sec. 42A.005.  STAFF. The attorney general and state
  special prosecutor may enter into a memorandum of understanding for
  the provision of staff or other resources to assist the special
  prosecutor in fulfilling the duties of the special prosecutor's
  office.
         Sec. 42A.006.  REMOVAL. The supreme court may remove a state
  special prosecutor from office for good cause.
         SECTION 2.  Section 46.001, Government Code, is amended by
  adding Subdivision (5) to read as follows:
               (5)  "State special prosecutor" means the state special
  prosecutor appointed under Chapter 42A.
         SECTION 3.  Section 46.002, Government Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 46.002.  PROSECUTORS SUBJECT TO CHAPTER. This chapter
  applies to the state prosecuting attorney, all county prosecutors,
  and the following state prosecutors:
               (1)  the district attorneys for Kenedy and Kleberg
  Counties and for the 1st, 2nd, 8th, 9th, 18th, 21st, 23rd, 24th,
  26th, 27th, 29th, 31st, 32nd, 33rd, 34th, 35th, 36th, 38th, 39th,
  42nd, 43rd, 46th, 47th, 49th, 50th, 51st, 52nd, 53rd, 63rd, 64th,
  66th, 69th, 70th, 76th, 79th, 81st, 83rd, 84th, 85th, 88th, 90th,
  97th, 100th, 105th, 106th, 109th, 110th, 112th, 118th, 119th,
  123rd, 132nd, 142nd, 143rd, 145th, 156th, 159th, 173rd, 196th,
  198th, 216th, 220th, 229th, 235th, 253rd, 258th, 259th, 266th,
  268th, 271st, 286th, 287th, 329th, 344th, 349th, 355th, 369th,
  452nd, and 506th judicial districts;
               (1-a)  the state special prosecutor;
               (2)  the criminal district attorneys for the counties
  of Anderson, Austin, Bastrop, Bexar, Bowie, Brazoria, Caldwell,
  Calhoun, Cass, Collin, Comal, Dallas, Deaf Smith, Denton, Eastland,
  Fannin, Galveston, Grayson, Gregg, Harrison, Hays, Hidalgo,
  Jasper, Jefferson, Kaufman, Kendall, Lubbock, McLennan, Madison,
  Medina, Navarro, Newton, Panola, Polk, Randall, Rockwall, San
  Jacinto, Smith, Tarrant, Taylor, Tyler, Upshur, Van Zandt,
  Victoria, Walker, Waller, Wichita, Wood, and Yoakum; and
               (3)  the county attorneys performing the duties of
  district attorneys in the counties of Andrews, Aransas, Burleson,
  Callahan, Cameron, Castro, Colorado, Crosby, Ellis, Falls,
  Freestone, Gonzales, Guadalupe, Lamar, Lamb, Lampasas, Lavaca,
  Lee, Limestone, Marion, Milam, Morris, Ochiltree, Oldham, Orange,
  Rains, Red River, Robertson, Rusk, Swisher, Terry, Webb, and
  Willacy.
         SECTION 4.  Section 46.003(a), Government Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (a)  The state prosecuting attorney, the state special
  prosecutor, and each state prosecutor is entitled to receive from
  the state a salary in an amount equal to the state annual salary as
  set by the General Appropriations Act in accordance with Section
  659.012 paid to a district judge with comparable years of service as
  the state prosecuting attorney, state special prosecutor, or state
  prosecutor.
         SECTION 5.  Section 46.004, Government Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 46.004.  EXPENSES.  (a)  The state prosecuting
  attorney, the state special prosecutor, and each state prosecutor
  is entitled to receive not less than $22,500 a year from the state
  to be used by the attorney or prosecutor to help defray the salaries
  and expenses of the office.  That money may not be used to
  supplement the attorney's or prosecutor's salary.
         (b)  The state prosecuting attorney, the state special
  prosecutor, and each state prosecutor shall submit annually to the
  comptroller of public accounts a sworn account showing how this
  money was spent during the year.
         SECTION 6.  Sections 46.005(a) and (b), Government Code, are
  amended to read as follows:
         (a)  The state prosecuting attorney, the state special
  prosecutor, or a state prosecutor may not engage in the private
  practice of law but may complete all civil cases that are not in
  conflict with the interest of the state or any of the counties of
  the district in which the attorney or prosecutor serves and that are
  pending in court before the attorney or prosecutor takes office.
         (b)  The state prosecuting attorney, the state special
  prosecutor, or a state prosecutor may not accept a fee from an
  attorney to whom the state prosecuting attorney, state special
  prosecutor, or state prosecutor has referred a case.
         SECTION 7.  The office of the state special prosecutor is
  created January 1, 2024.
         SECTION 8.  This Act takes effect January 1, 2024.